Program Manager, DOD Federal Programs: Drive Critical National Security Missions

Location: Hybrid Work, Columbia, Maryland

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for national security and a proven track record in large-scale systems engineering, test, and integration?

We are seeking an exceptional Program Manager to spearhead mission-critical Department of Defense (DOD) programs. This is a unique opportunity to not only lead a vital new program from its inception but also to significantly influence the strategic direction and growth of a dynamic Small Business at the forefront of Technology Modernization, Systems Engineering and Integration, Data Infrastructure, Architecture, & Advanced  Analytics, and Cyber Security.

The Mission: Impact and Innovation

This strategic leadership role is contingent on an upcoming award anticipated in September 2025. You'll begin by orchestrating the seamless transition and stand-up of a new program team dedicated to a critical defense mission. Beyond this initial phase, your role will evolve into portfolio management, overseeing a diverse array of programs and playing a pivotal part in shaping the firm's strategic vision for future growth.

You'll be instrumental in ensuring the success of our DOD programs, becoming a guiding force in designing, developing, testing, implementing, and sustaining innovative solutions that directly support long-term defense strategies. Your expertise will integrate across all business facets, with a specific focus on overseeing the complex engineering efforts for sophisticated products and systems vital to national security.

Your Impact and Growth Opportunities:

As a Program Manager, you will:

• Lead with Vision: Translate organizational strategy into concrete program objectives, identifying groundbreaking opportunities for innovation and ensuring complete alignment with critical business goals.
• Drive Integration Excellence: Masterfully coordinate interdependent projects, meticulously aligning outcomes with overarching program objectives, and expertly managing complex cross-project dependencies and sequencing.
• Orchestrate Comprehensive Testing: Take the helm of comprehensive test efforts across intricate hardware and software systems, developing sophisticated test plans, championing automated testing solutions, and collaborating across diverse teams to ensure robust validation of mission-critical systems.
• Cultivate Strategic Partnerships: Forge strong relationships with key sponsors and cross-functional teams, managing expectations through proactive communication, influencing crucial decisions with data-driven insights, and leading high-stakes stakeholder meetings (e.g., TRR, IPT, TWG).
• Champion Performance & Insights: Define critical success indicators aligned with program goals, develop dynamic dashboards and reports to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), risks, and benefits, and provide in-depth analysis of testing defects to drive design improvements and inform stakeholders.
• Optimize Resource Deployment: Strategically plan resource allocation across multiple projects, adeptly resolving constraints through insightful trade-offs, and collaborating seamlessly with functional leads to ensure optimal team capacity and capabilities align with program demands.
• Implement Robust Governance: Establish and enforce a resilient governance framework to meticulously manage scope, quality, and change, ensuring unwavering compliance with organizational policies, external regulations, and ISO standards, while maintaining audit readiness through rigorous documentation practices.
• Navigate Change with Agility: Partner effectively with change agents, proactively addressing stakeholder resistance, and ensuring program alignment with established change management frameworks.
• Demonstrate Financial Stewardship: Exhibit strong financial acumen by meticulously managing program budgets, forecasts, and cost controls, tracking Return on Investment (ROI) and benefit realization, and proactively identifying financial risks and opportunities.
• Mentor Future Leaders: Provide invaluable coaching and mentorship to project managers and engineers, fostering professional growth by sharing best practices, offering expert guidance on systems engineering, testing methodologies, tools, and career development.

What You Bring:

• Citizenship & Clearance: Must be a US Citizen with an Active or Interim Secret Clearance, or the ability to obtain clearance.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college in Engineering, Science, Math, Computer Science, or an equivalent discipline.
• Experience:
• 10+ years of progressive Project/Program Management experience, with demonstrated success within the DOD, specifically in Navy, Army, or Air Force mission programs.
• A strong foundation in Systems Engineering, Testing, and large-scale Systems Integration of DOD programs.
• Proven knowledge and experience with automated testing frameworks, tools, and CI/CD pipeline integration.
• Hands-on experience working with leading cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with cloud-based and virtualized environments for testing purposes.
• A strong understanding of machine learning, deep learning, and AI model development.
• Understanding of AI/ML frameworks and libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras).
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies.
• Must be available to travel to locations CONUS and OCONUS
• Skills: Exceptional interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, coupled with strong leadership abilities.

Our client offers great benefits and a competitive compensation package. The base salary for the Program Manager position will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors, and it is expected that the range for the role will be between $145K and $185k.

Established in 2010, @Orchard has built an exceptional reputation for providing staffing solutions that address time-sensitive, talent scarcity issues, delivering superior talent management ROI. Our specialty lies in critical program talent acquisition and resource management across diverse technical and functional areas.